Casino marketing strategies in the 21st century are in stark contrast to the days when television and radio advertising, direct mail, and even billboards were the primary means by which operators used to drive customers through the doors. Potential guests have to be watching TV or listening to the radio when the ads run, waiting for the “snail mail” to be delivered, or just happen to be driving past a billboard to receive the message that is trying to be conveyed.
Digital options, including email and social media, make the old means of communication obsolete. People carry an instant communication device in their pockets everywhere they go and are capable of receiving and reading messages the moment they are sent.
Shaun Chojnacki is the associate director of marketing for ipost, which specializes in creating email platforms for marketers. He is an expert in his field, which includes an interest in the casino industry, particularly with regard to marketing and loyalty programs.
Chojnacki acknowledges casinos are in a very competitive position among one another, especially as it applies to regional markets around the country where a number of properties compete for guests in a relatively small geographic area.
Potential casino customers, new ones as well as established players, have options that are driven by player loyalty programs, dining and entertainment, ease of access to the property, and of course the slot and table game selection.
“Digital marketing is an ever-evolving process that casinos and gambling brands need to master if they want to stay ahead of their competition,” Chojnacki maintains. “With new media platforms emerging every day, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for traditional advertising methods like TV ads or billboards to compete with newer digital options.”
Every marketing division knows their target audience. They seek to nurture the existing base, which includes the regulars, the high rollers, the senior crowd, and of course the millennials and Gen-X. Some concentrate only on the gaming experience, others on the food and beverage venues, while still others are attracted to the entertainment experience.
“Just like any other form of marketing, casino email marketing must be strategic, data-driven, and focused on your goals,” Chojnacki writes. “Whatever it is, you should personalize your message appropriately so that it resonates with your recipients and they know exactly why they should click through.”
Loyalty programs have been the primary means by which operators invest in “player nurturing”. Much emphasis is placed on bringing in guests whose loyalty may be to the competition, or attracting new players with perks and tier level enticements that serve as goals for which rewards await.
Once a player has established brand loyalty, the real work begins to keep that customer relevant, appreciated, and content with the services and perks that are being offered and the personal communication and relationship with a marketing VIP representative.
Player nurturing is an extremely important factor, according to Chojnacki, for achieving long-term profits both on the gaming floor and on the digital screen. He describes it as “unlocking the freedom to customize the player development journey.”
“By providing customers with rewards, discounts, exclusive access, and additional offers, customers have a reason to come back again and again,” he says. “Loyalty programs aren’t just great marketing ideas, they’re smart business moves.”
When it comes to digital marketing in particular, Chojnacki emphasizes that applying analytics and measuring ROI is imperative for casinos looking to optimize their digital marketing strategies. Solid baseline metrics early in the campaign will lead to an understanding of what content or advertising channels are yielding the best results.
“An effective strategy is generally at least two years long and should be reviewed on a quarterly basis,” he writes. “It’s a high-level view of how you will win over your target market by anticipating your audience’s wants and needs before they even know what they are.
“Every strategy should include multiple campaigns. These are generally reviewed much more frequently. Campaigns should be a mix of interesting click-worthy relevant content with a mix of automation to deliver the right message for you.”
Chojnacki believes that the better the casino is at harvesting and analyzing customer data, the easier it is for casino marketers to see hidden or potentially useful patterns.
“This will not only unlock highly effective email personalization, but empower highly sophisticated customer journeys,” he writes. “It will also help with building a direct mail strategy and benefit from better results than using a randomly designed marketing approach.”
One of the email strategies that he recommends is a “player welcoming series” through a series of emails to reinforce brand proposition and unique differentiators from the competition.
Another is the so-called “player development journey”, which begs the question on how this harmonizes with the player development team?
“Marketing’s role in getting as many of the best players as possible involved has to be done strategically, and there is no better channel than email marketing,” he says.
Finally, there is the constant awareness of the need to retain existing players. Knowing your target audience plays a prominent role in this aspect. The ability to detect when an established player’s frequency of visits is declining is vital to maintaining your audience.
Casino marketing divisions at properties across the country are keenly aware of what it takes to launch and maintain a successful campaign. Digital marketing and email messaging are powerful tools that are still under development and refinement.
The ability to send an email out about a six-figure jackpot that was just hit resonates with guests, who are attracted to the “slot influencers” whose YouTube contributions have created a more sophisticated gaming audience than in the past.
Keeping in touch on a timely basis is what differentiates the modern marketing strategy. Fortunately, all the tools are at our fingertips.
